The Survival Logs || Sword Art Online Fanfic

PK Pandemonia Arc: Chapter 62 - Katalysis

The main alleyway right in front of us made by the pair of rows of buildings led straight forth, seemingly dividing the city into halves if one were to look at it from above. On either side of that alleyway, smaller paths leading into different parts of the city were randomly placed, making it look like a maze with different ways to get to the other side, if there ever would be one.

"You girls take the left side, and we'll take the right," I pointed at the 2 sides. "If anyone finds an inn somewhere, send a party message of the location. We'll meet at wherever that might be."

"Plus, Meghan and Alexis, you two need to solve the problem of your green cursors soon. I don't think you'll want the orange players feeling suspicious of you all the time, though it's not possible for both of you to become orange as well....."

"We'll take turns to become orange," Alexis replied. "That'll sell away the cover story of our green bait method effectively. What do you think, Meghan?"

"Alright, alright....."Meghan nodded reluctantly, before shaking her head a little. "This is still frustrating for me."

"Better to become orange than become a target, at least in this circumstance." I waved before heading for the right side of the city, with Tekion following close behind. "We should meet up before evening."

Exploring Katalysis did indeed feel like a maze. It was unlike the main alleyway that I had only gotten a glimpse of, but the paths were a mess of a whole other level. Moving through the human traffic wasn't that much of a problem, but I imagined that if I bumped into another player, things definitely won't go well.

That being said, there were players in every corner that we turn. There was never a single time I had seen anyone without a player cursor over their heads; sure enough, this city was devoid of NPCs. The players which had filled in the roles of what the NPCs were in safe zones were quite sketchy. From blacksmiths to merchants, any item that was being sold here looked like they fetched sky-high prices. If this wasn't called a black market, I wouldn't know what else to call it as.

Getting lost here could be a possibility if we weren't attentive enough to get a good gauge of where we were. Maybe trying to move to the main alleyway was an option, but we were already deep enough to feel unsure if heading left and trying to go straight would work.

".....Maybe we should ask for directions....." I mumbled, expecting a certain reaction from Tekion that I knew he might make.

And indeed he did, with his quivering voice. "B-but you can't trust anyone of them! Did you see that toothed rapier that smith was selling? Daylight robbery, I say!"

"Not the point, Teki," I sighed. "Aren't you scared of the seller himself?"

"Y-yeah, him too," Tekion shivered. "I wouldn't craft a rapier as scary as that.....I-I got my limits on the materials I use, after all....."

He did have a point, though. The weapons that I had seen displayed in a few of the smithies we passed through were kinda.....unorthodox. Entirely different from the kind an NPC or green player would sell in a safe zone.

Looking around at the doors randomly faced around me, I spotted a sign indicating a beer mug, much like a bar would identify itself in a safe zone. "There," I pointed. "Looks good."

"I'm still quite....." Tekion's voice faded off as he noticed me already heading towards the door under the sign. "H-hey! Don't leave me here!"

The door revealed a long bar table, with a few players sitting by. I took an empty seat, looking for the bartender, who was serving drinks at the far end of the bar. She, too, wasn't an NPC, though she wore clothes similar to her NPC counterparts, having like a butler-kind of outfit with an apron worn over.